Power means for rotary drill apparatus



3, 1965 K. E. REISCHL 3,198,263

POWER MEANS FOR ROTARY DRILL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FIG. I KARL E. REISCHL ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 K. E. REISCHL 3,198,263

POWER MEANS FOR ROTARY DRILL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

INVENTOR KARL E. REISCHL BY WAJf/LA ATTORNEY 3, 1965 K. E. REISCHL 3,198,263

POWER MEANS FOR ROTARY DRILL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1963 5 SheetsSheet 5 INVENTOR.

KARL E. REISCHL FIG. 4 m L ATTORNEY 1965 K. E. REISCHL 3,198,263

POWER MEANS FOR ROTARY DRILL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGS INVENTOR. KARL. E. REISCHL ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 K. E. REISCHL 3,198,263

POWER MEANS FOR ROTARY DRILL APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 \ig i 97 7 95 42 42 0 W 98 I 3 l l I zaa l I LJ 25 J I l I 1 I 105 101 I l o w I I==-=L \-6x I I 102106 I I03 107 6 2| I I I03 IOO I E U INVENTOR.

KARL E. REISCHL FIG. 7 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,l98,2h3 Patented Aug. 3, TREE:

' 3,198,263 RQWER MEANS FER RUTARI DRILL APPARATUS Karl E, Eeisthi, South Miiwaulree, Wis, assignor to Eucyrmfirie Qompany, death Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 276,428 55 tClair-ns. (Cl. 173-46) This invention relates to a rotary drilling machine, and more particularly to a rotary drilling machine having a tiltable mast to provide for both vertical and angle drilling wherein the pull-down power for drilling and the power for hoisting is provided by a flexible connection between a drill rotating mechanism on the mast and a rotatable powered shaft coaidal with the pivotal axis of the mast, and the power source for said power shaft is carried by said shaft.

Conventional rotary drilling machines, as evidenced by Thornburg U.S. Patent No. 2,972,388; and Leven US. Patent No. 3,025,918, are characterized by: (1) a vertical drilling mast; (2) a power means on the mast for rotating a drill string; and (3) pull-down and hoisting means for moving the drill rotating means longitudinally along the mast. Some prior art rotary drilling machines provide the power source for the pull-down and hoisting means on the drill rotating mechanism on the mast, whereas other rotary drilling machines provide such power source on the drilling machine deck adjacent the lower portion of the mast. In the latter case, a flexible connection, such as a cable or a chain, interconnects the drill rotating mechanism and the pull-down and hoisting means. If the drilling machine is provided with a tiltable mast for angle drilling, and the pull-down and hoisting means is located on the drill rotating mechanism on the mast, this adds weight to the upper portion of the the mast, thereby imposing additional stresses on the mast when the mast is tilted, raising the center of gravity of the machine, and impeding its maneuverability. If the power source of the pull-down and hoisting means is located on the machine deck, then provision must be made to apply this force independent of tilt position of the mast. Furthermore, if the power source for the pull-down and hoisting means is mounted on the deck, then the means interconnecting the power source and the drill rotating mechanism will be subjected to twist ing and bending forces and misalignment when the frame is twisted as the machine moves.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple effective pullaiown and hoisting means for a drill wherein pull-down and hoisting force is carried and applied independent of tilting of the mast.

It is another object of this invention to provide a powered gear train for supplying pull-down and hoisting force to the drill string wherein the gear train is freed from misalignment resulting from frame twist or the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide flexible interconnecting means between a drill string mounted on a mast tiltably supported by a main frame and a source of power adjacent the main frame for raising and lowering the drill string wherein action of said interconnecting means is independent of tilt of the mast.

It is another object of this invention to provide drive means for pull-down and hoist powering of a drill rotating mechanism longitudinally of the drilling mast independent of mast tilt.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent in the following specification, claims and drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the rotary blast hole drilling machine showing the mast in vertical and a representative tilted position;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the drilling machine of FiGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of the drilling machine of FIGURE 1 with the mast omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevation of the chain pulldown and hoist structure driven by the pivotal gear means of the machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevation taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevation of the gear train taken along 66 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged elevation showing the mast and chain equalizer of FIGURE 4 in a tilted position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a rotary drilling machine is provided with a main frame 21 mounted on crawlers 22. A mast support member 23 having mast pivot bearings 24 is secured to the frame 21. Drill mast 25 provided with a conventional rotary drive means 58 and drill pipe handling means is pivotally supported on mast support member 23 at bearings 24-.

To tilt mast 25 a hydraulic ram means 26 is pivotally secured to frame 21 and to the mast 25. Actuation of ram means 26 allows the mast to be positioned from a vertical drilling position A to various mast tilt angles for angle drilling such as shown at position B. The mast 25 can be lowered until it is in a substantially horizontal position C. The mast in position C otters a drilling machine with low clearance, and is considered. the travelling position of the mast.

The rotary drive means 59 for rotating a coupled drill pipe is shown coupled to a drill pipe 51 having drill bit 28 at the lower end thereof. Other drill pipes 52, shown in storage position (FIGURE 2) may be added to drill pipe 51 to form a drill string. The pipe handling means 36 is described in detail in my copending application, Serial No. 256,974, filed February 7, 1 963.

The rotary drive means 50 is positionable longitudinally along racks 54 (FIGURES 2 and 4) by sprocket and pinion unit 55 driven by chains 41. Power for driving chains 41 is supplied by gear train 33 (FIGURE 6) hereinafter described which is mounted on a shaft 32 coaxial with mast pivot bearings 24. Rotary drive means St) is raised or lowered by powering chains 41. When the rotary drive means 50 is moved downwardly, a pulldown force is exerted on the rotary drive means by the chains 41. The amount of pulldown force requiredat the upper end of a length of drill pipe or drill string will depend largely on the nature of the material being drilled.

Also driven by gear train 33 are propel chains 61, which move the crawlers 22 of the machine.

Mast support member 23 includes a drive shaft support means 23a (FIGURES 2 and 6) in which are mounted shaft bearings 31. Supported on the bearings is a driven shatt 32 which carries gear train 33 covered by a gear casing 34. The gear train 33 is powered selectively by a hydraulic motor 35 or an electric motor 36 (hereinafter described). These motors are mounted on housing 34 and hence are also carried by shaft 32.

. The shaft 32, coaxial with the mast pivot 24, is pro vided with sprockets 48 for driving pull-down chains dll independent of mast tilt. The chains 41 each form a closed loop to interconnect and rotate with shaft 32 and rotary drive means 54 The chains 41 each partially wrap around equalizer sprocket 42 and 43 (FIGURE 4) and pass upwardly in mast 25. At the top of the mast they engage idler sprockets 44 thence pass: downwardly to sprockets 45 mounted on the rotary drive means. Thence they partially wrap around a peripheral sector of rotary drive sprocket 55. As the sprockets itl are rotated by driven shaft 32, sprockets 55, driven by chains 41, also rotate pinion gears 55a (FIGURES 2 and 4) coaxial with and keyed thereto. As gears 55a are rotated along racks 54 (FIGURES 2 and 4) a longitudinal movement of the rotary drive means 50 along rack 54 and mast results. To move the drive means 5i) upwardly on the mast, sprockets 55 are rotated counterclockwise by chains 41. When sprockets 55 are rotated clockwise by chains 41, the rotary drive means 51 is pulled down along the axis of the mast for drilling.

Thus by powering shaft 32 to turn sprockets 40 a pulldown force is made effective through chains 41 to the rotary drive means 51), and that pull-down force is available for drilling whether the mast is vertically positioned or at an angle as at position B (FIGURE 1), which, in the preferred embodiment, does not ordinarily exceed degrees from the vertical.

Referring to FIGURE 6, gear train 33 is shown as supported on shaft 32. The shaft 32 is supported at each end by bearings 31 on support 23a. Sprockets 41 are keyed to the shaft 32 and rotatable therewith when clutch 69 is shifted to engage an externally toothed member 63a turned by a main drive gear 63. The gear 63 and sleeve 63a are driven alternatively by a series of gear in gear train 33 from either a hydraulic motor or an electric motor 36. Primarily the electric motor 36 is used for rapid pull-down of the rotary drive means or for rapid hoisting of the rotary drive means and for machine propel. The hydraulic motor 35 is used to provide high pull-down force for drilling.

A drive pinion 64 on shaft 66 of electric motor 36 driveably engages gear to rotate main drive gear 63 mounted on sleeve 63a. Shaft 32 is rotated when clutch 6t) slideably engages member 60a. In this manner, shaft 32 is driven by main drive gear 63 from electric motor 36 to turn sprockets 40.

When hydraulic motor 35 is actuated, shaft 81 and gear splined thereon rotates. By shifting gear 81) to mesh with gear 82, a shaft and a pinion 84 keyed thereto rotate at high speed. When gear 86 is shifted by conventional means not shown to mesh with gear 33 the shaft 85 and pinion 84 rotate at low speed. Whether the gear 81) is shifted to high or low speed will depend on the operator and the soil formation being drilled, or when high speed hoisting of the rotary drive means 50 is desired. The rotation of pinion 34 rotates gear 86, which rotates on shaft 86a until clutch S7 splined thereon engages teeth 8612 on gear 86 thereby rotating shaft 86a, gear 65, and main drive gear 63. The shaft 32 is rotated by gear 63 when clutch 60 engages member 66a. Conventional control interlocks, not shown, prevent motors 35 and 36 from driving gear 63 simultaneously. Brake 4th: may be used to retard or stop shaft 32.

Also a winch 46 may be rotated on shaft 32 by main drive gear 63 and sleeve 63a when clutch 63 is engaged with jaw 47 on winch 46 to raise or lower hoist cable 48 (FIGURES 4 and 5 The crawlers 22 are driven by electric motor 36 through shaft 66 and gear 64 to rotate pinion 64a. As pinion 64a is rotated, main propel gear 38 is driven to rotate live shaft 37 supported in housing 34. Propel sprockets 39 and 39a on shaft 37 are rotated by selective engagement of clutches 57 and 58 keyed to shaft 37 to drive propel chains 61. The propel chains 61 rotate sprockets 59 (FIGURE 1) and the crawler sprockets 62 to propel or turn, as desired, the drilling machine 20.

Thus a powered gear drive for applying pull-down, hoist force and power for propel has been described, wherein the drive and housing 34 therefor is carried by bearings 34a and sleeve 63a on shaft 32. The power for pull-down and hoisting available at shaft 32 is coaxial with the mast pivot 24, and thus power can be applied at any angle of mast tilt without necessitating any change in pulldown and hoisting chains 41 engaging rotary drive sprocket 55.

As pull-down or hoisting power is applied through shaft 4 32, a torque result which tends to pivot or rotate gear train 33 and housing 34 about shaft 32. To resist this torque compression spring 1192 is mounted on member 193a secured to support 133 (FIGURES 4, 5, 6, and 7) which is attached to support 23.

In addition, as the weight of the gear train 33 and housing 34 is carried by shaft 32, a compression spring 1% is mounted between frame 21 and collar 167 secured to rod 136 attached to housing 34 to offset the dead weight of the gear train 33 and housing 34. However, a the propel drive is connected to the gear train by chains 61, there is a possibility that reactions of the chains 61 will tend to force the gear housing 34 downward. Appreciable movement in the downward direction must be prevented so that bending and overstressing of shaft 32 does not occur. To prevent such bending in shaft 32 a stop block 101 is secured to gear housing 34. A suitable clearance or gap 165 between block 161 and support 1193, say inch, is provided before the gear housing comes to a positive stop at support 163.

Thus compression spring 106 and 192 counteract the forces acting on housing 34 occasioned by stalling during pull-down or hoisting or sudden inertial forces created by the propel of the machine 2%).

As hereinabove described, the chains 41 driven by sprockets 44) on shaft 32 drive sprockets 55 to move rotary drive means 50 longitudinally along mast 25 whether the mast is vertical or tilted for angle drilling. It is advantageous to maintain the chains 41 in a taut condition when applying a pull-down force, or for applying a hoisting force. For example, when a pull-down force is applied to rotary drive means 50, shaft 32 rotates in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4. The chain 41 between sprocket 55 and sprockets 43 and 4th will tend to be pulled taut, while the chain 41 between sprockets 40 and 42 and 44 tends to be slack. The reverse is true during hoisting of rotary drive means 51). To equalize the tautness on chains 41, equalizer means 30 for each chain 41 is mounted on mast 25 to tilt with the mast.

Specifically, each equalizer means 94) (FIGURE 7) consists of a channel member 92 pivotally attached to mast 25 at its upper and lower ends. A bell crank plate 95 is pivotally supported at one upper corner on a pivot member 97 attached to the mast 25. A second upper corner of each bell crank plate 95 is pivotally connected to a housing for a compression spring 94, here inafter described, which is mounted on the channel member 92. Thus, each plate 95 forms a pivotal link between the upper end of the member 92 and the mast 25. At the lower end of each channel member 92 is a link 98 pivotally interconnecting member 92 with mast 25.

In each channel member 92 are slots 91 and 91a (FIG- URE 7) for mounting the shafts 42a and 43a of sprockets 42 and 43 respectively. The shafts 42a and 43a are provided with flats to have the shafts 42a and 43a slide in the slots 91 and 91a. Acting on the shafts 42a and 43a are compression springs 94 and 93 respectively mounted at each end of channel member 92. Specifically, compression spring 94 tends to move sprocket 42 toward sprocket 43, and spring 93 tends to move sprocket 43 away from sprocket 42. In this manner, the sprockets are biased against the incoming and outgoing runs of the chains 41 so as to maintain chains 41 taut. Thus a pulldown force acting on the chain at sprocket 43 tends to position sprocket '43 away from spring 93 to move channel member 92 upwardly (at viewed in the drawings). As this action tends to reduce the loading of sprocket 42 on chain 41, the compression spring 94 acts to urge sprocket 42 against chain 41 to make it taut to take up any slack in the chain existing between sprockets 4ti and 44.

When the chain 41 is powered to' hoist rotary drive means 50, sprocket 42 tends to move upwardly against spring 94 thus taking some of the load off spring93 to urge sprocket 43 downward (as viewed in the drawings) to make chain 41 taut between sprockets 55 and 40.

The action of chains 41 on sprockets 42 and 43 is effective at each of the channel members 92 to pivot the plates 95. An equalizer bar 96 pivotally interconnects the lower corners of the plates 95 to insure that the chain tautness applied by each equalizer means is the same so that the chains 41 carry equal load.

Thus the chains for pull-down and hoisting are maintained taut by springs 93 and 94 and an equalizer means mounted on the mast, and the equalizer means is tilted with the mast so that the pull-down and hoist force is independent of mast tilt Having now described and illustrated an embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, or specifically covered by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary drilling apparatus having a main supporting frame, a drill mast supporting means carried by said frame, a drill mast pivotally supported by said drill mast supporting means, and a means mounted on said frame for tilting said mast, the combination of a driven shaft carried by said drill mast supporting means and coaxial with the pivot axis of said drill mast pivot;

driving means including a prime mover mounted on said driven shaft for rotating said driven shaft;

sprocket means mounted on said driven shaft and rotated therewith;

rack means mounted longitudinally along said drill mast for carrying a drill string rotating mechanism;

a drill string rotating mechanism including a sprocketpinion means engaged with said rack means;

said sprocket-pinion means including a pinion engaged with said rack means and coaxial with the sprocket of said sprocket-pinion means; and

an endless chain engaged with said sprocket means on said driven shaft and engaged with the sprocket of said sprocket-pinion means for rotating said sprocketpinion means when said driven shaft is rotated by said drive means;

said drill string rotating mechanism being positioned along the longitudinal axis of said mast when said sprocket-pinion means is rotated.

2. The rotary drilling apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized by the fact that:

said main supporting frame has ground support means;

the ground support means has propel means;

and said driving means also drives said propel means.

3. The rotary drilling apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized by the fact that:

said driving means includes a housing;

and said frame is provided with a first spring means biasing said housing to relieve a portion of the Weight from said driven shaft, and a second spring mounted to resist torque created when said driving means is rotating said driven shaft.

in a rotary drilling machine having a main supporting frame, the combination comprising: a drill mast pivotally supported by said frame; means mounted on said frame for tilting said mast; drill string rotating means guided for longitudinal movement on said mast; rack means mounted on said mast parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast; drive pinion means supporting said drill string rotating means and including a pinion engaged with said rack means; a driven shaft supported by said frame and longitudinally aligned with the pivot axis of said mast; driving means mounted on said driven shaft for rotating said driven shaft; and a flexible drive means including a closed loop extending between said driven shaft and said drive pinion means, said flexible drive means adapted to suspend said drive pinion means and to rotate the same to raise and lower said drill string rotating means when said driving means drives said driven shaft; whereby raising and lowering of said drill string rotating means is accomplished Without regard to the tilt of said mast.

5. The rotary drilling machine according to claim 4 together with equalizer means carried by said mast for tensioning said flexible drive means without regard to the tilt of said mast.

6. in a rotary drilling apparatus having a main sup porting frame, a drill mast support-ing means carried by said frame, a drill mast pivotally supported by said drill mast supporting means, and means mounted on said frame for tilting said mast, the combination comprising: drill string rotating means guided for longitudinal movement on said mast; a pair of spaced rack means mounted on said mast parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast; a pair of drive pinion means supporting said drill string rotating means, one of said drive pinion means being disposed on each side of the drill string axis of said drill string rotating means, and each of said drive pinion means including a pinion engaged with one of said rack means; a driven shaft carried by said drill mast supporting means and coaxial With the pivot axis of said drill mast; driving means mounted on said driven shaft for rotating said driven shaft; a pair of flexible drive means each including a closed loop extending between said driven shaft and said drive pinion means, said flexible drive means adapted to suspend said drive pinion means and to rotate said pinion means when driven by said driven shaft to raise and lower said drill string rotating means; and equalizer means carried by said mast and operable on said flexible drive means for tensioning said flexible drive means and adapted to divide the raising and lowering forces equally between said pair of flexible drive means.

7. A rotary drilling apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said equalizer means comprises: a pair of support members each pivotally supported at one end on said mast; a pivotal connection between the other end of each support member and said mast, said pivot connections each including a bell crank, said bell cranks being so positioned as to rotate in a common plane in the same direction when said support members are moved in opposite directions; a pair of engaging means each engaging one of the incoming and outgoin runs to said driven shaft of each flexible drive means; biasing means yieldably connecting each of said engaging means to a respective support member and urging said engaging means against said flexible drive means to render said runs taut and to move said support members away from the driving one of said runs; and a rigid connection between said bell cranks to have said bell cranks rotate in the same direction whereby movement of one of said support members in one direction will cause movement of the other of said support members in an opposite direction so that said flexible driving means are subjected to equal loads.

3. In a rotary drilling apparatus having a main supporting frame and a drill mast pivotally supported by said frame, the combination comprising: means for tilting said mast about its pivot; a track extending longitudinally along said mast; drill string rotating means mounted on said mast having rotatable track engaging means movable longitudinally along said track to raise and lower said drill string rotating means for drilling operations; a driven shaft aligned with the pivot of said mast; driving means to drive said shaft; wheel means carried by said mast which are located both above and below said drill string rotating means; and flexible drive means including a closed loop extending from said drill string rotating means upward to and around the wheel means above the drill string rotating means, then to and around sa d shaft, then to and around the wheel means below said drill string rotating means, and then upward to said drill strung rotating means, the length of path of said closed loop being the same irrespective of the angle of tilt of said drill mast.

(References on following page) e References Cited by the Examiner 2,83 8,282 6/58 Colquitt 17 3-26 2869 826 1/59 Thornburg 173-23 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 2, 54,72 10 Z 4 T 7/40 Hoffman 74 801 9 6 /60 1 emdge 7 24 211 x g a 21 2 5 BROUGHTON G, DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

0 c Moerk Exammer. 8/56 Butzin 7427 X 

8. IN A ROTARY DRILLING APPARATUS HAVING A MAIN SUPPORTING FRAME AND A DRILL MAST PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: MEANS FOR TILTING SAID MAST ABOUT ITS PIVOT; A TRACK EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID MAST; DRILL STRING ROTATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID MAST HAVING ROTATABLE TRACK TO RAISE MEANS MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID TRACK TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID DRILL STRING ROTATING MEANS FOR DRILLING OPERATIONS; A DRIVEN SHAFT ALIGNED WITH THE PIVOT OF SAID MAST; DRIVING MEANS TO DRIVE SAID SHAFT; WHEEL MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MAST WHICH ARE LOCATED BOTH ABOVE AHD BELOW SAID DRILL STRING ROTATING MEANS; AND FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A CLOSED LOOP EXTENDING FROM SAID DRILL STRING ROTATING MEANS UPWARD TO AND AROUND THE WHEEL MEANS ABOVE THE DRILL STRING ROTATING MEANS, THEN TO AND AROUND SAID SHAFT, THEN TO AND AROUND THE WHEEL MEANS BELOW SAID 